The causes of a rollover accident may not be apparent upon first glance. When a vehicle rolls over in an accident, there are many forces contributing to the rollover. It is important when evaluating a potential rollover case to consider all of the different factors that could have led to the vehicle turning over.

For instance, the vehicle rollover may have been caused by a product defect. Manufacturers of modern vehicles are under an obligation to design their automobile in such a manner that will prevent the vehicle from turning over during an accident. After a rollover, there needs to be an investigation done to determine if the vehicle responded properly to the forces that caused the rollover. Often the vehicle design will be investigated, and specifically regarding whether the design of the vehicle created an unreasonable risk of rollover for the driver. This investigation is often related to an area of injury law that is called “product liability.” 

Products Liability

Product liability is an area of the law that seeks to afford consumers with certain protections against mass-produced products that due to a defect in the design, manufacturing or marketing process creates an unreasonable risk of harm. In addition, some products are inherently dangerous and when a company fails to properly address the danger or properly warn the consumer of the danger, multiple parties in the sale lineage may be liable for damages that result. Product liability law incorporates many issues not found in other areas of personal injury law such as car accidents or premises liability cases.

Consumers in the United States place a significant amount of trust in American manufacturers to ensure that the proper measures have been adhered to produce a safe product. The legal framework in product liability cases imputes a significant responsibility upon American manufacturers to follow safety protocol and take the steps necessary to make sure that our reasonable expectations of safety are met. Often this sentiment is derived from the concept that it is American manufacturers who are best fit to handle the cost of ensuring safety; as the designers and manufacturers of products interact with the products prior to distribution.